Tag Archives: Food

No, not that kind of date! It can’t be healthy to eat food past the “expire” date, can it? What about the “sell by” or “use by” dates? These labels are confusing, and really don’t mean very much. We might as well use an Aztec Calendar Wheel for the same amount of clarity!

They give us the the date by which the manufacturer has deemed the food to be closest to the taste that the manufacturer decided was best. “But companies want people to taste their products as best they can at the optimum, because that’s how they maintain their business and their market shares.” (Institute of Food Technologists) “There should be a standard date and wording that is used. This is about quality, not safety. You can make your own decision about whether a food still has an edible quality that’s acceptable to you.” (Harvard Food Law & Policy Clinic) All sources say the same thing. Smell it. Taste it. You can tell if a food has gone bad.

This is much different than contamination. “Bacteria, viruses, or parasites mainly cause foodborne illness. Many foodborne illnesses are a result of bacteria or viruses, which are microorganisms or “germs” that occur either naturally in foods or are spread as a result of poor practices, such as cross contaminating foods or improper handling during food preparation. Bacteria can rapidly multiply under the right conditions.” (MDH)

What is a diet? According to my friends Webster and The Merriams, diet is defined as:

a : food and drink regularly provided or consumed
b : habitual nourishment
c : the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason
d : a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight <going on a diet>

Our “diets” are what we habitually eat (and drink.) That’s it. They are not “good.” They are not “bad.” They are what they are. They may be good for us (or not), but they are nothing more than a list of foods and food products. We choose to label them, and then often judge ourselves for being “bad” or eating “bad.” Our negative self-talk only serves to propagate our unhealthy behaviors.

Also according to Merriam-Webster, the origin of the word “diet” is: “Middle English diete, from Anglo-French, from Latin diaeta,from Greek diaita, literally, manner of living, from diaitasthaito lead one’s life” Manner of living, or lead one’s life. How wonderful is that?!

So, our diets, what we habitually consume, are our manner of living and lead our lives. If we think about that, it is certainly true. What we eat fuels our bodies (and our minds), and allows us to live the full and meaningful lives we so desire. Of course if we are eating food products that damage our health, we are leading our lives in the opposite direction.

Most of us are no longer plagued by plagues and infectious diseases, but are suffering and succumbing to “lifestyle diseases.” It is our responsibility to change that. We have effectively redefined the term “epidemic.” It used to be an infection affecting a disproportionately large portion of the population. You can’t “catch” obesity and lifestyle diseases, but they are at epic proportions and are being considered epidemics by many.

So. Have you been “on a diet”? It appears that there are some 500 to choose from. A few of the classifications include: belief-based, vegetarian/vegan, low-calorie, low-carb, low-fat, crash/fad, detox, and others. Many, many others. A study in the UK found that “the average 45-year-old has been on 61 diets.” (MailOnline) It doesn’t take much to figure out that if 61 “diets” haven’t worked, maybe it’s the act of dieting that is to blame!

The next time we want to lose a few pounds and feel a bit better physically and emotionally, we can think about going on yet another diet*, or we can think about making a few small, manageable changes to our diet and lifestyle. We can consume a few more nutrient-dense calories, a few less nutrient-void foods, and move a little more today than we did yesterday. (*Most diets are extremely successful. Not for weight loss, of course, but for the authors!)

I am in no way saying that it’s easy, or that everyone will lose weight by making these more manageable lifestyle changes. There are many reasons that people are unwell and/or overweight. But most of us can experience a significant change in our bodies and our health by making simple changes. Healthier choices. We can feel so much better! We owe it to ourselves, to our children, to their children… Small changes matter.

Although this post is geared towards those of us who may be out of work or underemployed, it is appropriate for all of us who want to get more out of the lives we are currently living.

Would you like to excel on your next interview? Are you having trouble lining up that interview? We all know the obvious: network, research, prepare, etc. But what happens when we put all of our time and effort into the job search at the expense of our health and wellness? We will not be at our best, for sure. Whether on that interview or networking with peers (or at the local market… you never know where that next big break will appear!) Let’s get back to basics. We need to put ourselves first so that we have the resources to excel. Note: No-one can do it all, all the time, or all at once. As with anything, it is often best if we pick the most important and most changeable items and start there. Baby steps!

According to The Under Cover Recruiter, the top seven qualities an employer is looking for are: intelligence, leadership ability, integrity, likability, competence, courage, and inner strength. In order for us to possess and display these attributes, we must have balance in our lives and take care of our health and wellness. “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (The WHO.)

Our bodies are designed to heal themselves. All we need for normal repairs and growth is the proper resources (sleep, nutrition, and exercise.)

None of these conditions will benefit our job search, to say the least! It should be pretty obvious that to perform on a professional level and to display our strengths properly, we need to be well rested. Not just on the day of the interview, but every day. There are many resources available to help us sleep better. The first steps are to stick to a regular sleep schedule, pay attention to our food and drink consumption, create a bedtime ritual, set the conditions for sleep comfortably, limit naps, get regular exercise, and manage stress. (For detailed information: MayoClinic.)

NUTRITION: Living on coffee and nutrient-deficient snacks or meals is not going to give our bodies what they need to survive, let alone thrive. As an employer, would you be more likely to hire someone who is vibrant, clear and sharp with a healthy glow, or someone who is haggard and listless? Nutrition is surprisingly simple (to understand, anyway): We need to take in a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, whole carbohydrates, and lean proteins in reasonable portions and on a regular schedule. Eat foods that our grandparents would recognize as food! That’s it.

Variety is important because each different type of food has different raw materials our bodies need. Each different color of vegetable contains different phytonutrients our bodies require, for example. As always, excess is unhealthy. Period. Even drinking too much water (too quickly) can kill you. Seriously, it can (water Intoxication.) Many of us unemployed think we can’t afford to eat healthy. The truth is, we can’t afford not to. Tips to eat healthy on a budget: MyPlate. There are many others sources a few keystrokes away.

I am sure we all know how important it is to start the day (after an eight to twelve hour fast) with a good meal. Personally, I love leftover dinners for breakfast. Talk about quick and easy! Going too long between meals causes blood sugar drops and feeling tired or sluggish (certainly not an optimal way to be job hunting), can slow metabolism, and cause us to gain weight. (Fit Day) Our brains need the nutrition and the energy to function!

EXERCISE: The benefits of regular exercise cover every aspect of MindBodySpirit wellness. “Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning,” says Harvard Medical School psychiatrist John Ratey.” (USA News) The evidence abounds. Move it or lose it! Again, no need to go crazy. Move a little bit more than you did yesterday, then make it a habit. Exercise helps with sleep, too (although too close to bedtime may not work for you. It keeps me up for many hours!)

Remember those seven things employers are looking for? They are: intelligence, leadership ability, integrity, likability, competence, courage, and inner strength. When you are healthy and taking care of yourself, you are much more likely to not only grow these attributes, but to also present them well. As job-seekers, we are in the business of selling. We are the salespeople, and we are the products. We each need to know our product in order to sell it. As any salesperson will tell you: the easiest products to sell are the ones of that sell themselves. You can showcase your attributes clearly and vibrantly because you are taking care of yourself. Be a positive and effective product and you will find it much easier to sell yourself for the perfect position!

Wishing you success in your life, and career. Remember, put your health first and everything else will follow!

Just as some animals have a bad reputation because of the way people treat them, so too, the potato hasgotten a bad reputation because of the way we treat them!

The potato, when whole and treated well <smile>, can be a very valuable food. When we process things, they lose precious nutrients and gain things our bodies were not designed to handle (in bulk, anyway.) Overly processed foods have nutrients added back in. They are “enriched.” But they are also “enriched” with so very many things we don’t need and that adversely affect us.

Much like the mistreated dog that will eventually attack, our food products are now attacking us… I offer this table as a quick view into what happens to the nutritional content when we mistreat our foods and turn them into ‘food products.’

Potato

Baked

Fried

Chips

Size (g)

100

100

100

Calories

198

319

559

Fat (g)

0

17

59

Fiber (g)

8

4

3

Sodium

21

194

388

Sugar (g)

1

1

1

Protein (g)

4

4

4

Iron

39%

8%

5%

Vitamin B6

31%

19%

20%

Vitamin C

22%

5%

14%

Potassium

16%

16%

21%

Calcium

3%

1%

3%

I chose to use 100g as the ‘serving size’ to make comparisons accurate, but this amount is much smaller than most ‘portions.’ Also, when the foods we eat are more processed, we tend to increase our consumption, as well. The calories, fat, salt, etc, will increase proportionately from this table if we eat our ‘normal’ amounts. Of course you can ‘mistreat’ the baked potato so that it no longer resembles a potato, but is hidden somewhere under the butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, etc. Top wisely!